Monrovia-The Liberty Party(LP), one of Liberia’s most resilient political institutions, marked its 21st anniversary with a celebration that blended reflection, gratitude and renewed calls for unity.
By Jaheim T. Tumu- jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com
The event brought together party stalwarts, government officials, and supporters, underscoring the party’s survival through political storms and its continued relevance in Liberia’s democratic journey.
In her opening address, Senate Pro-Tempore and Political Leader Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence reminded members that anniversaries are not endpoints but new beginnings.
“This anniversary is not a finished line. It is a starting point. Let us leave here today renewed in strength, united in purpose, ready for the future,” she declared.
Her statement was both celebratory and cautionary, reminding partisans that the Liberty Party was never built on personalities but on principles.
“We did not build this party on personalities. We built it on principles. Not on division, but on unity. Not on what divides Liberians, but on what unites us,” Kangar-Lawrence said, drawing applause from the audience.
She emphasized the values that have carried the party through two decades of turbulence: “21 years of unity, love, oneness, loyalty, leadership, tolerance, resilience, and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Liberty Party’s internal divisions in recent years tested its resilience. Yet, as Kangar-Lawrence emphasized, forgiveness and reconciliation became the glue that held the party together.
“This celebration belongs to you,” she told members, urging them to applaud themselves for their perseverance.
Kangar-Lawrence’s message was structured around three calls to action. First, she urged members to “renew our strength,” invoking the resilience that had carried the party through internal wrangles and national political storms.
“The same resilience that carried us through political storms and through doubt is still in us. The strength that carried us through the past is the same strength we need for the future,” she said.
Second, she challenged the party to “claim our future,” stressing that progress belongs to those who act. “The future does not belong to those who wait.”
“ It belongs to those who organize, who show up, and who act,” she told the gathering, calling on the executive committee, advisory committee, women’s congress, youth congress, diaspora leaders, and auxiliary groups to step forward.
She urged the Liberty Party to “keep the promise” of a Liberia where “every county matters, every voice counts, and every young person believes they have a place. “Her words resonated as both a reminder of the party’s founding ideals and a roadmap for its future relevance.
Delivering a keynote address on behalf of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Minister of State Samuel A. Stevquoah praised Liberty Party’s endurance and partnership in governance.
“21 years in the establishment of a political party in Liberia is something significant to celebrate, and you deserve the recognition and the honor that you’re receiving tonight,” he said.
Stevquoah highlighted Liberty Party’s indispensable role in the coalition that brought Boakai to power.
“The president also recognizes and deeply appreciates the indispensable role the Liberty Party has played in bringing the Unity Party government to power,” he noted, emphasizing shared visions of good governance, national unity, and economic recovery.
He relayed Boakai’s parable of unity: “When the spiderwebs unite, they can tie up a lion. The lesson there is very simple. When all of us as a people, with one vision and one purpose, come together, with God above, there’s nothing we cannot accomplish.
Stevquoah’s remarks indicated the administration’s appreciation for Liberty Party’s collaboration, while also acknowledging the constructive criticism of its members.
“When Senator Dillon criticizes this administration, we accept it in good faith. When he stands up, as many other senators do, and stands up for what we know is the truth, we appreciate that too,” he said.
The collaboration between Liberty Party and Unity Party, he suggested, should not end with elections but continue through governance.
“Political partnerships should not end with elections. Rather, they should continue through good governance and through shared commitment to improving the lives of our people,” he said.
Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, injected humor and symbolism into the celebration. Drawing on football, he compared Liberty Party’s resilience to Arsenal’s long-awaited trophy win.
“One more year on 21 years will make it 22 years. That equals the number of years that Arsenal has not won a cup. Now that Arsenal has won a cup, Liberty Party will win the presidential election as well,” Senator Dillon quipped.
But Senator Dillon’s remarks also carried weighty reflection. “Our history is with joy, some sadness, some rough roads, some tough times. But we are here together because of the grace of God and our resilience, our determination to demonstrate reconciliation,” he said.
Senator Dillon’s insistence that the party was built on unity and dignity echoed the founding vision of Charles Walker Brumskine, the party’s late standard-bearer.
“Liberty Party was founded on this day 21 years ago when we received our official certification from the National Relations Commission,” Dillon reminded the audience, linking the party’s history to its present resilience.
He praised Kangar-Lawrence’s leadership style, describing her as calm yet firm in times of turmoil.
“You got grace, you are a selfless woman, a resilient leader. Very, very calculated when there’s turmoil. Very, very firm in her faith and belief. When there’s turmoil, that’s when she gets up in the boat of Jesus and says, stop, be still,” Dillon remarked.
His words reinforced Kangar-Lawrence’s image as a stabilizing force within the party, particularly during its internal wrangles.
The anniversary celebration was not only about speeches but also about acknowledging the party’s survival through crises that might have destroyed other institutions.
“Liberty Party is one of the political institutions that are going into such turmoil as people know, but have come out united, reconciled, and one and stronger,” Dillon said.
